Russian Cossacks will help Syrians preserve their Christian heritage

Moscow, May 24, Interfax - Stavropol Cossacks will visit ancient Christian city Maaloula in Syria to study historical sites in the Aramaic language.

"After debauchery committed by the terrorists we consider it necessary to go there and start working over monuments of learning in the Aramaic language, the language of Jesus, which terrorists were not able to demolish. Besides, we want to write down the dialogues with local residents, who speak the modern dialect of Aramaic," deputy ataman of the Stavropol city Cossack society Dmitry Tarasov was quoted as saying by the Izvestia paper on Wednesday.

Then the documents will be posted in free access in the Internet, where original texts and translations will be presented.

Stavropol and Moscow higher educational establishments and the Maaloula Academy, where the Aramaic language is lectured will support the Cossacks' work.

Several years ago terrorists captured the city and seriously destroyed it. Shrines of the local St. Thekla Convent suffered damage, churches were destroyed. In April 2014 the city was liberated. Then Syrian soldiers released its Mother Superior and 11 nuns who had been taken captives in September 2013.